It was a beautiful structure, strong yet light, traversing the length of the ship in three aerial leaps.

It spanned from the forecastle-head to the forecastle-house, next to the 'midship house, and then to the poop.

The poop, which was really the roof or deck over all the cabin space below, and which occupied the whole after-part of the ship, was very large.

It was broken only by the half-round and half-covered wheel-house at the very stern and by the chart-house.

On either side of the latter two doors opened into a tiny hallway.